■WINTERING BEES. 825 



When such as need feeding have been , fed, and all 

 ■weak families made strong by additions, etc., but little 

 more fall work ife needed in the apiary. It is only 

 -when you have weak stocks, unfit to winter, that it is 

 necessary to be on the lookout every warm day to 

 prevent pillage. 



CHAPTEB XXII. 



"WINTERING BEES. 



There is almost as much diversity of opinion wixh 

 respect .to wintering bees as in the construction of 

 hives, and about as difficult to reconcile. 



DIFFERENT METHODS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED. 



One will tell you to keep them warm, another to 

 keep them cold ; to keep them in the sun, out of the 

 sun, bury them in the ground, put them in the cellar, 

 the chamber, wood-house, and other places, and no 

 places at all ; that is, to let them remain as they are, 

 without any attention. Here are plans enough to 

 drive the inexperienced into despair. Yet I have no 

 doubt but that bees have been sometimes successfully 

 •wintered by all these contradictory methods. That 

 some of these methods are superior to others, needs 

 no argument to illustrate. But what method is best, 

 is our province to inquire. Let us endeavor to ex- 

 amine the subject without prejudice to bias our judg- 

 ment. 



